I say you are right, it's fun to be ironic sometimes, the sad part is that this is the quality on here lately. It's time to move on and like you said earlier spend more time on the stream. Let's hope we can get em' tomorrow.

Fishing in Third Creek?....I would figure the fly line to melt down as soon as it hit the water there? As far as coyote go we have camped in Elkmont and they run right through the campground with no fear of humans looking for food scraps.

The one time that was a bit erie for me was at Metcalf bottoms picnic area it was winter so everyone left early I was still fishing and one walked right to the edge of the bank across from me. A very healthy looking animal I might add. I reached for my camera to get a photo and he turned away. I decided to psst him so I could snap a photo and when I did he stopped, dropped his head lowered his ears then snuck off up over the hill.

At that point I realized I was the only person there and decided to hit the road. Typically wildlife don't scare me but we must all remember wildlife in the park is just that WILD meaning they can be unpredictable at any given moment. Visitors to Cades Cove seem to think their in some sort of petting zoo. This is kind of a disturbing article.

kind of related....I went coyote hunting for the first time the other day. I called and called my little heart out but only got an owl to come see what was making all the noise. A little later I heard the whole pack start calling. I thought "come on I got enough shells for 15 of you!" Of course they're too smart to come when I'm ready for them.

As for the cougar in Indiana...that's about as controversial as the otters in the smokie streams. I had a CO tell me to shoot one if I see it....because he wanted some answers on the issue....

A talented young girl's life was ended because she had no idea she was in danger. Others were more fortunate!

Four scientists spoke out in editorial fashion summarizing this incident before all the scientific evidence was in. Three out of four (75%) of the scientists were dead wrong. (Sorry for the pun).

"Brad White, a coyote expert at Trent University in Peterborough, Ont. said they might have been coyote-wolf hybrids." Correct!

"Don Anderson a biologist with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources said he saw no reason to suspect the animals were coyote-wolf crosses. Don Anderson noted there are no wolves in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick." Wrong!

"Stan Gehrt, a coyote expert at Ohio State University's school of environment and natural resources suggested that the coyotes were rabid." Wrong!

"Bob Bancroft, a Nova Scotia wildlife biologist, had suggested that the coyotes were inexperienced hunters." Wrong!

"As for the cougar in Indiana...that's about as controversial as the otters in the smokie streams. I had a CO tell me to shoot one if I see it....because he wanted some answers on the issue.... "

jross,

I have one practically living in my backyard. Do you want to come and help me shoot it? It's not really bothering me, but it makes a mess with my electric fence when it drags its deer kills through the wires and tears off the insulators and downs my fence posts.

" The wildlife service treated the eastern cougar as a distinct subspecies, even though some biologists now believe it is genetically the same as its western brethren, which is increasing in number and extending its range."

The Western variety is alive and well and quite photogenic! The only reason to declare them extinct is to remove them from the endangered speicies list, as has been done.